A Parent's Worst Nightmare
by kayfanatik
Summary: Delia is brain dead, Ephram has a malignant brain tumor...how will Andy ever cope? RR! (warning! implies multiple character deaths!)
1. Default Chapter

Title: A parent's worst nightmare  
  
Ephram's POV  
  
"Ephram! Ephram, get down here right now and pick up your boots! I almost killed myself tripping over them!"  
  
I chuckled to myself. Good old dad, clumsy as ever.  
  
"All right! Hang on a second!"  
  
I turned off my CD player and headed downstairs. I had had the best day of my life. Amy, the love of my life, asked me to the winter formal. I, of course, didn't have the balls to ask her out first, and while I was pondering whether I should do so, she just came up to me and asked. She had laughed at the look on my face, I'm sure.  
  
"I don't understand why it's so hard for someone your age, and someone who's so smart can forget the tiniest of things! You know I don't like it when you put your crap in the middle of the door way!" Dad yelled.  
  
"Yeah, that's basically why I do it." I muttered under my breath.  
  
"Excuse me? I didn't hear that."  
  
I ignored him as I walked into the living room. Ever since we started living here, the living room was my favorite place to chill, just to get away from it all, or basically just to play my PlayStation2.  
  
"Ephram.Can I play this time?"  
  
Delia had snuck up on me while I was playing a game. She startled me so much that I shook the controller and my character was defeated in battle.  
  
"See what you made me do, Delia?" I scolded.  
  
Delia looked hurt. I really didn't mean to make her feel bad.  
  
"Ok, I'm sorry Ephram. Um, I'll just watch." She said.  
  
"Yeah, you do that."  
  
I didn't understand it. Why was I being suck a jerk? First the boots in the door way, now making Delia upset. I didn't want to say mean and hurtful things, but some how, I couldn't stop myself.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~ Delia POV  
  
After Ephram had shouted at me, the next couple of days were horrible. Ephram had a terrible temper, but yet he claimed that he was "so happy." Yeah, Amy asked him to the dance, or whatever, but Dad and I were worried that maybe he wasn't telling us something.  
  
"Delia! Hurry up will you? I'll be late for my date with Amy! I need the bathroom, NOW!"  
  
"Ephram, can't you just hold on one minute? I'm not done brushing my teeth!" I called back.  
  
Suddenly the door started to thump. It was apparent that my brother was banging on the door. The thumps were getting louder and louder as he started to kick the door. I realized that if I didn't get out of there, he would kick the door down.  
  
I opened the door just as he brought his leg up so far, I knew that was going to be the kick to bring it all down.  
  
"There! Are you happy now? It's all yours."  
  
Ephram's face turned purple with rage.  
  
"Never talk back to me, little girl, do you hear me? NEVER!" he barked.  
  
I jumped and sped to my room and locked the door. I didn't feel safe with Ephram any more.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Amy POV  
  
"Why Ephram, you look very nice this evening!"  
  
Ephram gave me a very odd glance as I stepped out of the car to greet him. He sneered as he looked me up and down very slowly. I blushed.  
  
"And I can't say the same thing for yourself. Why Amy, you look like a born whore!"  
  
I stood there shell shocked. I could feel the tears prickling my eyes, and my throat clogging up with embarrassment and humiliation.  
  
"Ephram.how could you say such a horrible thing to Amy?" Dr. Brown had asked.  
  
I couldn't prepare myself what came next.  
  
"You know what, Andie Brown? Why don't you just mind your own freaking business and go jump off a cliff, it would do the whole town a favor!"  
  
Delia ran out at these words.  
  
"Ephram, you stop it right now! Don't you talk to Dad that way!"  
  
"Shut up Delia! You go to hell, just like dad!" Ephram brought back his hand and smacked Delia's pain stricken face with all his might.  
  
Delia was flown back onto her side in the middle of the road. It took her a couple of seconds to realize what had happened to her.  
  
I gasped and looked over at Ephram, hatred in my eyes.  
  
"Ephram!"  
  
"Oh God, Delia, Dad, Amy, I'm so sorry. Delia, here, I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me!"  
  
Delia , still in the road, backed away from her brother. It was a pitiful sight. All of a sudden there was a flash of bright lights and the next thing we saw was a horn, a "whump!" and Delia flying through the air.  
  
"DELIA!" Ephram and Andie screamed.  
  
Ephram suddenly grabbed his head and moaned. Still running, he screamed in agony. He fell beside Delia and touched her still face.  
  
"Delia! Delia can you hear me?" Andie asked frantically.  
  
My father had already called an ambulance. He ran over to Andie and Ephram. All I could do was watch in horror and amazement.  
  
My dad tended to Delia, and Andie stood up to face a traumatized Ephram.  
  
"You son of a bitch!" Andie grabbed Ephram and started to shake him.  
  
Ephram started to fight back, but he clutched his head again. This time he screamed in pain and collapsed in Andie's arms. Andie, shocked, lowered him to the ground.  
  
"Ephram? Ephram, what's going on? where does it hurt?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Andie's POV  
  
I couldn't understand why Ephram was in pain. I was still in shock from Delia being injured, what could possibly be wrong with Ephram?  
  
"Son, what's wrong? Where does it hurt?"  
  
Ephram groaned loudly. "Dad, my head, it hurts so much!"  
  
My stomach flipped flopped. I quickly thought back to the first day when Ephram started to change. He intentionally left his boots out in the doorway for me to trip on, he terrorized his sister by almost kicking down the bathroom door, he tells Delia to go to hell and hits her, he tells Amy that she looks like a slut. Well, it wasn't that odd for him to tell me to go jump off a cliff. But the rest, were just not Ephram.  
  
My hair stood up on end. I knew deep down what was wrong with Ephram and I screamed at the thought of it.  
  
"NO! This can't be happening! Not both of my children!!!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N: Yeah, I know it was crappy writing, but I had an idea and I didn't know how to lay it out. I know it might be confusing to you and the sentences are very choppy. Sorry again. Next chapter will be better....Next Chapter: What IS wrong with Ephram? And can you say: Life support for Delia? Gee, I think Andie has some tough decisions ahead of him..poor guy..R/R!!!!! 


	2. tragedy and tumors

Andie's POV  
  
What was going on? why couldn't I see my damned kids? I had been pacing the hospital floor for an hour! No emergency doctor has come out with a report yet, what's taking them so damned long?  
  
"Jesus! What the hell is going on?" I cried when the first doctor I saw step out of the trauma 1 room.  
  
The doctor looked at me, quite sadly, which put a stop to my heart.  
  
"Well," he started slowly, "we have some very good news about Delia, she seems to be getting along quite nicely, considering how much damage the car has inflicted on her. She's stabilized, though she's not out of the woods yet."  
  
I sighed with relief. Delia was stabilized; it was the best thing I had heard all night. Now what about Ephram?  
  
"And my son?"  
  
The doctor, who's name tag I had just noticed read Dr. Passly, looked straight in the core of my eyes. I prepared for the worst.  
  
"Your son, Dr. Brown has been taken down for a CAT scan. We have come to suspect that he has a tumor in his brain."  
  
The breath I had been holding completely rushed out of my lungs. It wasn't confirmed, but I knew it in my heart that Ephram did indeed have a brain tumor.  
  
"I see," I whispered as I slowly sat back down in a chair. It was unusually cold and hard, it didn't provide me with the comfort that I had expected it to.  
  
Ephram's POV  
  
Wow, everything seemed so dark and blurry. It was like I was in a dream. Oh Delia! Where was Delia?  
  
"Delia! I want my Delia!" I cried out.  
  
All these doctors surrounded me, I was in a hospital room. My head was throbbing, but i didn't really notice. I wanted to know if my sister was all right.  
  
"Ephram? Ephram dear, it's Dad."  
  
Relief washed over me, but so did a wave of fear. "Dad, where is Delia?" He looked down at his shoes and then back up at me with tears in his eyes. This was not good.  
  
"Ephram, she's stabilized, but she's in a deep coma. She has a lot of head trauma, brain swelling, the whole bit. They don't know if she'll wake up, so far, Ephram, she's not showing any brain activity, I'm so afraid that she might be brain dead."  
  
All the air in my lungs was forced out. Dear God, what had I done? Tears welled up in my eyes, but then something hit me. Why the hell was I here in the hospital bed?  
  
"Dad, what happened? Why am I here also?" I asked slowly.  
  
Dad looked me straight in the eyes this time. "Ephram, you have a brain tumor the size of an egg."  
  
Silence. I couldn't say anything, I was in so much shock.  
  
"Is it cancer?"  
  
"I don't know, son. They operate to see if its benign later tonight. If its benign, your in good hands."  
  
"And if its malignant?"  
  
Dad didn't say anything.  
  
"Dad? What if it's cancer? Answer me!"  
  
"Then son, we'll just have to do everything that we can. Right now we just have to pray and wait."  
  
I swallowed hard. "Dad?"  
  
"Yeah Ephram?"  
  
"I love you."  
  
Delia's POV  
  
It's so dark, why can't I wake up? Where is Daddy and Ephram? I hope he's not mad at me still. Help me get up! I need to see Ephram!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
hey sorry so short and it took so long to update.I have tremendous writer's block. Review please! Maybe I'll update a little sooner If you do! 


	3. Cursed?

Ephram's POV  
  
Wow, I can't believe this is happening to me. Can my life get any worse than it is? Yes, it probably can.  
  
I have a tumor that can't be operated on, and its malignant. I should be writing my will and testament right now, I wonder where Dad is.  
  
"Dad?" I cried weakly. Dad, where are you?"  
  
Ephram, I'm here, don't worry buddy." He stroked my bald head.  
  
"Dad, how's Delia doing?"  
  
Dad looked really worried. I wanted to know what was happening to my little sister, the little girl who I have taken care of for the past 2 years.  
  
"Ephram, she's not good. She's still in a coma, but she has no brain waves."  
  
I was confused. "Meaning?"  
  
He sighed deeply. "She's brain dead, Ephram."  
  
I closed my eyes and let a wail escape from my lips. It was all my fault. I killed my sister's essence, her soul, her mind. How could I ? How could I live with that on my chest?  
  
"Dad, I want to die." I moaned. I didn't mean to say it aloud, but it just slipped from my lips. My father didn't say anything but he slipped his arms around my body and kissed my forehead.  
  
"I know son, but it's not your fault." He finally said.  
  
"It is my fault! I was the one who pushed Delia to get hit by that car! Damn it! Tell me one thing, Dad, tell me that they have found the monster who hit her!"  
  
Fire was licking my insides as I felt the heat rise from my toes to my head. My fingertips were tingling, I felt so alive with malice.  
  
"Ephram, calm down buddy," my dad said as my monitors started to beep. My blood pressure was sky high.  
  
"Really, calm down! Think about yourself, Ephram, if you don't get your blood pressure back down you could-"  
  
I cut him off, "I could what, die faster than I already am? Good then, let me die!" Dad winced like I had punched him in the stomach. I knew he needed me now more than ever since he had already lost Mom and Delia. How could he bear to lose me too?  
  
My insides slowly cooled down with the guilt I possessed. "Dad, god, I'm so sorry. I don't want to die, I really don't. I need you. I need you now more than ever."  
  
Dad wiped a tear from his eye as he pulled me into a warm embrace again.  
  
"Dad?" I croaked.  
  
"yes, Ephram?"  
  
"I want to see Delia."  
  
Andy's Pov  
  
He wanted to see Delia. How could I bear to let him see Delia? I could hardly look at her without going insane. My daughter is literally dead and my son wants to see her when I could barely take one glance at her. I really was a pathetic man, but it was just too painful. But as it was probably Ephram's last time being with his sister, I agreed.  
  
I wheeled him into Delia's room and I watched his face. It turned paler than it already was, his eyes grew red and swollen. I took him over to her bedside. I turned from him as he grasped her hand. I couldn't bear to watch them, I would have lost my composure if I had. I waited outside the door.  
  
"Delia," I heard Ephram saying with difficulty, "I know things haven't been the greatest between us. I know I should have been a more supportive and understanding big brother, I wish to god I had been. I wish I could have given you all the love that you lacked, make up for the Mother that both you and I had lost so unwillingly. I wish so many things, but what I wish the most is that you could have known Mother longer than you did. She was such a good, beautiful person like you had known before she died, but you didn't know her the way I had. I was blessed with six more years of life with her, but I also was cursed. You will never know how I am so cursed, I can't explain it. Maybe it's because I lost Mom, but you lost her too. Maybe it's because I had to move to Everwood, but you are here with me. Maybe it's because I couldn't get the girl of my dreams because she was committed to someone else, but now he's dead. But I still can't get her. And I know I never will. Maybe its because I have this malignant brain tumor that's inoperable, or because you are here in the hospital not hearing a damned word I'm saying!"  
  
Ephram paused and I heard audible sobbing from her room. But he continued.  
  
"No, no, you see, I'm not the one who's cursed. Dad is the one who is cursed with this suffering. You and me, Delia, we've had it pretty easy to that man we call Father. That man has sacrificed everything for us, you'll never know, and that's what I wish for me. I wish I had given my father the chances that I hadn't. I wish that I knew him better, that I could feel more for him than I already do. Delia, we are dying! And that man's healthy as a horse! And you know what? He is cursed because he'll be the only one left when we die! And he knows it!"  
  
Something cold washed over me, something chilled me to the bone. It was Ephram's words that put me in perspective. He was right. I was cursed.  
  
"Delia," he said, "I give the man all the props he deserves, I love the man. He's going through a lot right now. So why don't you make everything easier on everyone and wake up?"  
  
Bam! Ephram was pleading with Delia to wake up! it hit me like a ton of sugar! I had thought that he had accepted the fact that she couldn't wake, but here he was trying to get to wake her. My heart went out to his pointless and uneffective action.  
  
"Delia, you have to wake up! I can't die like this without having you to comfort me! to cheer me on! I need to die before you, Delia! It's my destiny! Don't leave me behind!"  
  
Delia's POV  
  
I thought that I felt someone's hand grasp mine and hold onto it for dear life. I thought that I heard someone's voice in the distance, egging me to open my eyes and wake up. I thought that I heard someone call my name. But it couldn't be him. I had overheard Daddy say that Ephram was probably going to die, so did he get hit by that car too? Why couldn't I just WAKE UP??  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
AUTHOR"S NOTE: Hey review!@!!!!! PLEASE! 


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